A Place for Myself
by Namazukage
Summary: A story about Jack's clone.  The first four chapters are set right after Fragile Balance.  The fifth is set in the present.
1. A Bubble

Chapter 1: A Bubble

Despite the reassuring look he gave to his counterpart, Jack O'Neill had some doubts about coming back to high school. He wondered if the original O'Neill could see that. Nevertheless, he continued to his first class at Mountain Springs High School, hoping to make the most of it. _I'm a fifteen-year-old boy with the memories of a fifty-two-year-old colonel_, he told himself. He didn't really believe it, but he found this mantra to be helpfully distracting. He looked around for Cassie Frasier, he chose to attend this school to be with her, but hadn't seen her yet.  
Jack entered his first class, American Government, and smiled at Mr. Crowin. The teacher smiled back. "Hello, you must be Jack. You can sit over there next to Angeline." Mr. Crowin pointed to an open seat and Jack took it promptly.  
As the last students entered the classroom, Mr. Crowin stood at the front of the class. "Before we begin, everyone, I just wanted to welcome the school's newest student, Jack O'Neill. Jack, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?"  
"Well," Jack began slowly, "I'm Jack O'Neill . . . and I guess that's it." Jack smiled.  
Mr. Crowin laughed. "Well, that's a start. Where do you live?"  
"I'm in an apartment on Pepper Lane."  
"Who do you live with?"  
"I live by myself."  
"What about your parents?"  
"They died a very long time ago."  
Mr. Crowin suddenly felt uncomfortable, but Jack had piqued his interest. "Are you in the foster care system?"  
"No, I was a ward of the United States Air Force, but I became an emancipated minor a couple days ago."  
"Oh, interesting. Why did the Air Force look after you?"  
"Sorry, Mr. Crowin. That's classified." Jack smiled.  
Mr. Crowin sent an uneasy smile back. "Well, I won't pry any further," he said as he grabbed a textbook from under his desk and passed it to Jack. "Here's your textbook. I expect it to be covered at all times."  
"Yes, sir."  
Mr. Crowin laughed. "The Air Force must have rubbed off on you a bit," he said before turning his attention to the class at large. "Now, we've been talking about the executive branch these past few school days. I'm going to digress from my original lesson plans because I think Senator Bloom's recent nomination to be the next Secretary of Veterans Affairs would make a great example as I talk about the cabinet."  
Jack sat through the day's first classes with ease. He frequently volunteered in class to give answers to the teachers' questions, sometimes exceeding their expectations. His teachers took an immediate liking to him as a result of his participation and the maturity that emanated from him.

At lunchtime, Jack bought his meal and headed to an empty table until he heard his name. He turned around to see Jenn Covili. She was one of the girls he met in the morning outside school.  
"Come sit with us, Jack", she told him.  
Jack obliged and met Jenn's friends. They also took an instant liking to him. Jack's physical attributes appealed to Jenn's female friends. His cool and calm demeanor about whatever he talked about interested the male friends, and everyone appreciated his humor and other aspects of his personality.  
Towards the end of the lunch period, one of Jenn's friends, a junior named Levi, noticed a table of students pulling out trading cards and showing them off to each other. He laughed. "Looks like those geeks are getting closer and closer to being over the top." He stood up.  
"Levi, where are you going?" asked Emme, another girl that Jack met in the morning.  
"I'm going to see if those are Star Trek cards or Star Wars cards. Or lady robot cards. Whatever." Levi snickered.  
"Leave them alone," Jenn pleaded.  
"It's no big deal. I just want to see what the fuss is about." Levi turned to the new kid. "Jack?"  
Jack gave Levi a near-imperceptible smile. "I think there are worst things to do than studying a lot and collecting whatever those guys are collecting."  
Levi smirked at him. "Like what?"  
"Feigning superiority by picking on behaviors that are completely harmless."  
Levi had counted on Jack's support. He figured Jack would back him up so he could secure a spot in this group, and Jack's refusal in front of these friends irritated him. "I'll show you harmless." Levi aimed to push Jack off his chair for slight amusement rather than out of actual aggression, but Jack had no patience for Levi. With his hands, he blocked Levi. With his right leg, he took Levi's from under him. He did this all in one swift move. To a teacher across the cafeteria, it looked like Levi tripped and landed on the floor. To the people at Jack's table and the two next to him, it was clear that Jack outmaneuvered Levi with no effort. Many of them laughed at Levi's misfortune, including a group known for spreading the most inane gossip. They would add this incident to the list for today's circulation.

Jack wrapped up the school day with the continued ease he had before. As she shut his locker for the last time of the day, he finally saw Cassie, and she was approaching him.  
"I thought it was funny when I first heard the new guy was named Jack O'Neill," she commented. "Seeing you up close now, though, it's kind of creepy. There's a resemblance between you and this other Jack O'Neill I know."  
"Maybe we're related," Jack noted sarcastically.  
Cassie, however, didn't pick up the sarcasm. "No, I know he doesn't have any family left. It must be one of those things, I guess."  
"Yeah, one of those things."  
"I'm Cassie, by the way."  
"Nice to meet you."  
"And nice meeting you finally."  
Jack headed towards one of the school doors. "I'll see you around, Cassie."  
"You probably shouldn't head that way."  
"Why not?"  
"People have been talking about what happened at lunch with Levi, and it's been blown ridiculously out of proportion these past few hours. His locker is over there along with some of his friends'."  
"And he feels compelled to respond?" Jack asked, knowing the answer.  
"Welcome to Mountain Springs."  
"Well, I don't want to keep them waiting." Before Cassie could discourage him, Jack headed towards Levi and his friends.  
"O'Neill!" Levi said angrily. "I think we all should talk."  
"Not on school grounds. You should know better," Jack quickly noted.  
Jack proceeded out of the school and across the street, followed by Levi and four of his friends. In turn, the five bullies were followed by students who heard the exchange and wanted to see what would happen.  
Jack finally stopped walking and gave Levi an inviting look. The five guys surrounded him and charged together. Despite their number and size, they were no match for Jack's memories. Jack stumbled from time to time, having never fought in this younger body before, but he still managed to beat them without breaking a sweat. Many students cheered or laughed. Jack stood off to the side and bent down a bit to address the guys on the ground.  
"Now, guys, I know how this is supposed to work with a new guy. You all felt compelled to defend Levi's honor and next you will feel compelled to defend your own honor and come after me at a later time. Well, let me tell you this. I haven't been working out, but I will again soon. What I just did to you all was easy. If I need to do it again, it will be easier. With that in mind, maybe you all should just accept that you are no match for me. I am the big man on campus, the alpha dog, or whatever term you all use these days. Accept that and then you won't feel the need to defend your honor." Jack stood straight up. "Is that clear?" he said loudly, using a tone befitting an Air Force colonel when addressing an annoying enemy.  
"Yeah, O'Neill," Levi responded quietly.  
"Good. See you tomorrow." Jack turned around and headed home. Although there was a bus that could take him to his apartment, he opted to walk to begin his physical conditioning. On his way, he reflected on his word choice. While he certainly doesn't want to be the most popular guy at school, he felt he needed to put the five guys in his place, so he liked how everything turned out.

Thanks to school gossip and Levi's behavior, Jack had reached his goal in one day. He became well-liked and respected by both students and teachers, and his modesty made him even more liked. Over the next few days, Jack made peace with Levi and his friends and dabbled in brief conversations with Cassie. He decided against telling her who he was, even though General Hammond had given him permission to do so when he found out where Jack was going to school. During one of Jack's and Cassie's brief chats, they noticed another bully picking on someone.  
"Quit it, Jared," he told the bully. Jared stopped and went away, a move noticed by two teachers. When a similar incident happened again, gossip among teachers elevated Jack's position further.  
Jack was enjoying his second try at high school when a surprise visit topped it all. As he walked into his next class, Daniel showed up.  
"Hey," Daniel said. "I dropped by on the way back to base from an errand and I was hoping to catch you between classes." Daniel approached Jack and pulled out a large envelope. From the envelope he identified several items as he pulled them out and set them on Jack's desk. "Here is your social security card and your passport. Also, the president pulled a few strings and got you an unrestricted driver's license. Try not to get pulled over, though. It'll get complicated."  
Daniel assumed that the driver's license would get some positive attention. Murmurs in class confirmed his prediction. Daniel knew what Jack had accomplished; he was the only one from SGC who stayed in touch. Jack made the first move and called Daniel. He declined to contact Sam because he felt it would be awkward given his feelings for her. He really wanted to contact Teal'c, but Teal'c hardly ever left the base, and Jack wasn't sure if he wanted to go back there yet. However, Jack had no reservations about Daniel. He needed him, and he knew that Daniel would understand. In turn, Daniel relied on Jack to fill in memory gaps he didn't want to ask his teammates about out of embarrassment. Daniel ultimately moved into an apartment complex close to Jack's complex so they could be near each other, but far enough to maintain a symbolic distance out of respect to the original Jack O'Neill.  
Jack told Daniel about all the progress he made at school. Daniel shared some of this information with the original Jack, who was content about his clone's success. After some time apart, the original finally accepted his clone's existence and gave him some help through Daniel. The second to last item in Daniel's envelope was a key to a truck.  
"Here is a key you should recognize," Daniel said. "I parked it near the pine trees."  
Jack was surprised. "Now he has an excuse to buy a new one. Thank him for me, will you?"  
"Of course. And I will also thank him for this." Daniel pulled out the last item, a piece of paper. "A savings account in your name with $75,000. Don't spend it all in one place." Daniel smiled. "So, have you told any of your fellow students anything about your past?"  
"Of course not. Everything about me before my first day here is classified."  
"Well, you should give them something. Maybe you shouldn't talk about your expertise with nuclear weapons," Daniel said loudly, "but maybe you could tease them about where you were really born or your experience flying jets." Daniel smiled widely, a contrast to Jack's glare. "Look at the time," Daniel continued. "I should go."  
"Do you have a ride back to base?"  
"An airman should be out there somewhere by now."  
"All right. Thanks a lot, Daniel."  
"You're welcome, Jack. Hey, it's going to be a late night for me tonight. Do you mind if we push dinner at my place to tomorrow?"  
"Of course not. I'll see you then."  
"Bye."  
"Bye."  
As Daniel was walking away, he heard a classmate ask Jack where he was born. Daniel quickly turned around. "In a space ship orbiting Earth," he said quickly before he scurried out to avoid Jack's reaction. He couldn't see Jack shooting a look of death at him.  
Murmurs started again and even Miss Worth was curious, but she ultimately started class before anyone could badger Jack.

Cassie was waiting at Jack's locker at the end of the day. "I heard about where you were born, so I asked a little more about you. It turns out you have a connection to the Air Force and a hunky friend named Daniel."  
Jack smiled. "Give me a couple minutes, Cassie, and we'll talk."  
Jack and Cassie soon walked around the school's tennis courts. Cassie decided to direct the conversation. "So, I'll tell you a little bit about myself if you tell me a little bit about yourself."  
Jack smiled in approval.  
Cassie asked, "Do the letters SGC mean anything to you?"  
Jack laughed. "All right, Cassie. We'll cut to the chase." Jack still didn't want to tell Cassie about his true origins, but he didn't want to lie, either. Luckily, he had already rehearsed an explanation in anticipation of a moment like this one. "My parents died before I was born. However, through the intervention of an Asgard named Loki, I was still born and my growth accelerated. I'm actually less than a month old, but a lot of knowledge was put into me, so I know what do to and how to live on my own. Loki sent me down to Earth soon after and I came across SG-1. I know your mother well, so I know a bit about you and Hanka."  
Cassie smiled. "So I got all that information for free, then?"  
"Yes."  
"I wish you could have told me some of that before."  
"Well, I'm not sure if the hallways were the best places to be revealing that information."  
"Fine. Point accepted." Cassie smiled again and then changed the subject. "So you named yourself after Uncle Jack?"  
"I couldn't think of a better name for me."  
"Well, it is a good name."  
"He gave me his old truck. Do you want a ride?"  
"Yeah!"

Two days later, Jack had his first interaction with the original since the latter dropped him off at school. A chemistry assignment on modeling molecules left Jack needing supplies he remembered owning. He drove to his old home and retrieved the extra key from a fake rock. Jack decided to complete the assignment there lest he ended up missing anything and needing more supplies. It was just past midnight when he finished, and he planned to take a quick nap on the floor next to his model.  
Forty minutes later, the original came home and saw his younger counterpart sleeping. The older Jack lifted his clone onto the couch and went to bed.  
At 5:30, the colonel rose out of bed and awakened his clone to make sure the latter had time to take care of his morning activities.  
"Hey, old man," Jack softly said. "Sorry about intruding. I haven't gotten a chance to explore the area by my apartment yet and I didn't want to roam around looking for a store."  
"It's no problem. Your molecule looks well done."  
"Thanks. I'm hoping my teacher will feel the same way."  
"Do you want to stay for breakfast?" The older Jack asked, partly hoping his clone would decline. Although he had come to terms with the situation and passed down his truck and some money, breakfast in that house would still be awkward.  
The younger Jack was able to read the original's facial and vocal cues. "No thanks, I have a couple errands to run before school starts. Do you even have time for breakfast anyway?"  
"Nothing big. We're in the middle of some negotiations."  
"All right. I'll head out then. Thanks, by the way, for the truck and savings account."  
"No problem."  
"I really like your new truck."  
"I thought you would."


	2. Cassie

Chapter 2: Cassie

Over the course of a few months, Jack enjoyed getting the most out of high school socially even though he rarely hung out with his new friends outside of school. He also got to learn plenty about new findings in the sciences and about topics he didn't pay much attention to the first time around. Additionally, he joined the hockey team and became a valuable asset.  
However, he eventually started to feel the repetitiveness of his days. His friends would often ramble on about fashion, school gossip, or other subjects that he found similarly uninteresting. They would also try to set him up with dates with girls, all of which he declined. They started setting up dates with boys, but they ultimately gave up when he declined those, too. Every now and then, he would get involved in an engaging conversation about sports. Yet, his in-depth analyses and knowledge of history were startling sometimes to his peers. On more than one occasion he had accidentally talked about attending games before he was allegedly born. The same thing happened when talking about movies or the Simpsons. These circumstances reminded his friends of his unusual origins, leading Jack to having to defend against barrages of questions he couldn't answer. Finally, at one point, he had to admit that an Air Force general he knew well gave him permission to stay in a cockpit during a flight.  
After a few months, what Jack cherished most in high school were his chats with Cassie. The two developed a strong friendship, and Jack found himself seeking Cassie out more and more and seeking others out less and less. He even cut down on his participation in classes. Jack felt a little guilty at first for keeping Cassie from really knowing he was, but he found that Cassie didn't really care about his past. He figured that Cassie was used to getting the bare essentials from Janet so she didn't feel compelled to ask Jack a lot of classified information.  
"My mom hardly ever went into detail," Cassie told Jack once, "but she always let me know how SG-1 and a few other people were generally doing."  
On a particular school day, Jack hadn't seen Cassie at all but heard from others that she was crying at one point during the day and was spaced out the rest of the day. He found her after school slowly strolling around the school grounds and ran up to her.  
Cassie saw him and gave him a huge hug when Jack reached her.  
"What's wrong, Cassie?"  
"Sam's missing. It has something to do with a ship she was on or something, but she's missing. I'm so afraid that my mom is going to come up to me one day and say that Sam's dead."  
Jack initiated another hug. This news upset him, but he calmed down quickly. "It'll be all right, Cassie. I'm sure she'll turn out fine."  
"Everyone says that, Jack, and I'm tired of hearing it. They don't know everything will be fine. You don't know, so why do you say that?"  
"Because history says she'll be fine. How many times have SG-1 found themselves in trouble, Cassie? They've been lost, captured, held up, whatever so many times, and they always came back. Haven't they, Cassie?"  
Cassie calmed down a little bit. "Yeah," she said quietly.  
"They've even died. All four of them in SG-1 have died before; actually, physically died and they all came back."  
Cassie smiled. "All right. You're right, Jack." Cassie sighed.  
"I'm a little bit anxious, too, but I'm going to hope for the best. Will you do that with me?"  
"Yes, Jack."  
After a couple more minutes, Jack succeeded in convincing Cassie to see a movie despite a couple important homework assignments. The movie and dinner after were able to clear both Jack's and Cassie's minds when they finally did their homework at Cassie's home. As Jack prepared to leave, he hugged Cassie and Janet returned home.  
"Hi, Doc."  
"Jack! I thought I recognized that truck. It's nice to finally see you again. Cassie's told me a great deal about you . . ."  
"I know where you're going with that, Doc, but Thor said everything would be fine and everything has been fine. I've had no need for checkups with you."  
"And I gather you would also feel uncomfortable being back there?"  
Jack shifted his gaze away from Janet. "Yeah, that too."  
"Well, I don't mind doing a checkup outside of the base."  
"Thanks, but no thanks. Has there been any word on Sam yet?"  
"No, but our best people are doing all they can. That's all we can ask for now, right?"  
"Yes, exactly." Jack replied. "Well, I'm going to head home. Have a good night, Doc. See you tomorrow, Cassie."  
"Have a good night too, Jack."  
"Bye, Jack."

It didn't feel long before Cassie found Jack in the halls one day and got his attention by punching his left arm. "I talked to my mom," Cassie said. "Sam and everyone else have been found. There are injuries and Sam's unconscious, but everyone will be all right."  
Jack beamed. "That's great!"  
"Uncle Jack is going to throw a little party when Sam wakes up and is able to walk around. Will you come?"  
"Nah, I think it would just be a little bit weird."  
"Mom mentioned your discomfort before, too. Why is going back such a bad thing?"  
Jack struggled with his answer, but he didn't show it. "Well, I only spent about a week and a half there, and I guess I just wanted to move on from the whole Asgard experience."  
"Okay. I think I understand."  
Jack smiled and started to turn away, but Cassie stopped him.  
"Were you scared for Sam, Jack?"  
"Yeah, of course. She really had an impact on me."  
"So all that talk about everything being fine . . . Did you really believe it or was that mainly for my benefit?"  
"I've found it's easier to comfort others than it is to comfort myself. And sometimes, it's more of a priority, too." Jack paused. "Although, it doesn't hurt to be optimistic, and it doesn't help to be pessimistic in these situations. I guess it's a little from column A and a little from column B."  
"All right, Jack. I'm going to my next class. Before I forget, though, what do you think about having a picnic this Saturday?"  
"It won't be too cold for you?"  
"No, there'll be less people, which I'll like."  
"All right. Sounds good, then."

Saturday came and Jack drove Cassie to a park forty minutes away. "How do you know about this park?" Jack asked.  
"Sam and my mom brought me here a couple years ago. I love the bridges and that fountain even though it's probably shut off now. Have you been here before?"  
"Only once or twice. There's a river nearby that's great for fishing. I usually come around here for that, not the park."  
Cassie laughed. "You and Uncle Jack are so similar. You made a really good choice with his name."  
After finishing their lunch, Cassie brought up the topic on her mind the most. "So have you been in a relationship before? I've heard a little bit about your friends failing to set you up."  
"I haven't, actually. It's the age thing. I might look fifteen . . . "  
"But you're less than one year old. It makes you think people who are attracted to you are pedophiles?"  
Jack laughed uncomfortably. "Actually, it's the opposite. I mentioned to you that an Asgard put information into my head, right?"  
"Yeah. How much?"  
"Over fifty-years worth of information."  
"How did you quantify that?"  
"Uhhh . . . it's a bit strange. I think I'd rather not try to explain. I'll fail miserably."  
"All right, all right. So you feel older, then?"  
"Yeah," Jack said as he reclined a bit, resting on his elbows behind him.  
"Maybe you should let my mom check you out. I'm wondering if your hormone levels are normal for a fifteen-year-old body."  
"What?" Jack said exasperatedly.  
"I mean, do you still feel physical attraction to others?"  
"Well, yeah, initially, briefly, but my mind just reminds me how weird everything is with me. I used to remind myself that I'm a fifteen-year-old with the mind of a fifty-some-year-old in the body that's less than one-year-old, but I stopped that when my friends' attempts at hooking me up with someone became too strange for me."  
"Do you think you could ever give in to those hormones?"  
"I think I would regret it if I did."  
"Maybe you shouldn't be so pessimistic Jack." Cassie smiled and reclined back, putting her left cheek on Jack's chest.  
"What?" Jack's heart began to beat rapidly and heavily as Cassie reached under Jack's jacket and put her right hand on Jack's belly. Cassie could feel the beating on her cheek despite the jacket. She smiled at first until she realized it was beating not out of excitement, but anxiety. She sat up and looked at Jack, who looked like he couldn't move. His face expressed utter shock. Cassie didn't know what to say. Jack didn't know, either. He started to realize that he had become too dependent on Cassie after he distanced himself from the rest of school. He wondered if he had led her on.  
After a few more seconds, though it felt longer to the both of them, Jack sat up. "I'm sorry, Cassie. Please don't be offended."  
"I'm not," Cassie said quietly, trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince Jack. She smiled to try to prove her point, but Jack saw the discomfort in her face.  
"Cassie, I'm very sorry if I gave you the impression . . ."  
"No, no, it was all me."  
"Do you want to just forget this all happened?"  
"Yes, definitely."  
"To what?" Jack smiled.  
Cassie returned the smile awkwardly. The picnic continued, although with a different mood as both tried to push the incident past them.

A few weeks passed when Jack was in Chemistry. An administrative assistant interrupted the class with the speaker system.  
"Mrs. Rojas?"  
"Yes, I'm here."  
"A gentleman from the Air Force is here to pull Jack O'Neill out of class."  
"All right, thank you. He'll get ready now."  
Jack began packing up when the original Jack O'Neill showed up. His face was grim and his clone knew what it meant.  
Mrs. Rojas, however, could not sense anything wrong. She marched over to the colonel. "Hi, I'm Sonia Rojas."  
"Colonel Jack O'Neill. Nice to meet you." Jack tried to be as cordial as he could in spite of the reason behind his visit. He didn't want to cause any discomfort at this school.  
"Oh, I heard Jack didn't have any family left."  
"We're not family. I'm just his namesake."  
"Both names?"  
"Yes."  
"You look like him, though."  
"Yeah, that scares me, too."  
Jack finally finished packing and went off with his counterpart.  
"Who?" the younger one asked after they reached the halls.  
"Janet."  
The younger Jack felt a knot forming internally. "Cassie . . ."  
"I already told her. She's in a conference room next to the principal's office waiting for us."  
By the time both Jacks reached the room, the younger Jack had tears rolling down his face. He opened the door and he and Cassie immediately hugged each other. "I am so, so sorry, Cassie . . ." The older Jack nearly envied his clone for being free to express his emotions.  
Cassie and Jack visited SGC for a memorial soon after. It was Jack's first time back, so he stayed in the back of the gateroom crowd with Cassie when Sam made her speech. The grief of losing Janet, the discomfort of being back, and the redundancy he felt as others comforted Cassie made Jack leave the gateroom. He sought out Daniel's office and sat in Daniel's chair before falling asleep.  
Daniel put a hand on Jack's shoulder to wake him up. "Hey. People are starting to head out. If you're tired, though . . ."  
"I'm fine, Daniel."  
"Jack and Sam wanted to spend some more time with Cassie. She's going to stay with one of them tonight."  
"Okay. I think I'll head home myself."  
"You can stay . . ."  
Jack shook his head and gave Daniel a hug before leaving. He wanted to help Daniel more, knowing that his friend was having trouble coping, but he felt it was the original's right to help, not his.

On his way to lunch the next day, Jack ran into Cassie. It was her first day back at school.  
"Hi, Cassie. How are you doing?"  
"I'm holding up."  
"Where did you end up staying last night?"  
"At Uncle Jack's. Sam's new boyfriend was going to spend some time with her, and I wanted to avoid him." Jack smiled, but he felt a twinge of jealousy. His friendship with Cassie had felt differently since the picnic and now, the real Jack had been spending more time with Cassie.  
Jack eventually made his way into the cafeteria and Cassie made it to her class. While in line to pay for his lunch, he noticed two students about to enter the cafeteria. Their strides and the bulges at their right sides alarmed Jack. _They can't possibly . . . _, he thought to himself. He stared in shock as the two students reached into their jackets' right sides. Jack moved quickly by jumping into the lunch preparatory area. He grabbed two long knives and ran towards the two gunmen. As the first shot rang out, an announcement of their intentions aimed at the ceiling, Jack threw the two knives. Before a second shot could escape, the knives penetrated the gunmens' right hands, forcing them to drop their weapons as they screamed in pain. Jack caught up to the two and without hesitation pummeled them. He finally stopped when he noticed that the two students were barely conscious. However, the sight did not abate Jack's fury. He grabbed the shooter's shoulders.  
"Are you out of your mind? You idiot!" Jack screamed loudly. He stepped back and looked around to see if everyone was all right. He then noticed Cassie staring in shock in the school office. Even from that distance, she had heard Jack's exclamation and recognized its tone. Rather than shock or fear due to the gunshot, confusion was written on her face because of Jack.  
It wasn't long before police and reporters gathered at the school and the students were dismissed. Jack talked briefly to the principal, requesting that his name be kept out of the details and hoping that the reporters would leave the students alone. On the way to his truck, he saw Cassie waiting for him.  
"Who are you?" she asked.  
Jack sighed and decided that this was the time for full disclosure. "I told you that I had information in my head," he began as Cassie nodded. "They're actually memories. The real Jack O'Neill's memories. I'm his clone, Cassie. Loki kidnapped Jack to study him and he replaced him with a clone, me, to avoid suspicion. However, the process didn't work out as intended because of our DNA and I wasn't fully grown. I ended up as a teenager instead of a fifty-two-year-old. I actually thought that I was the real Jack O'Neill, that I had simply become young again."  
"So you are essentially Uncle Jack."  
"Yes, up until I woke up that morning, all of our memories are the same, including memories of you. I remember everything about your time with him up to that point. That's why I couldn't be with you. That's why I reacted the way I did when we had that picnic."  
"Oh. I figured there was some biological connection between you two. I thought maybe you were his son from a parallel universe. I never thought you were his clone, or that you had all his memories."  
"Is this weird for you, Cassie?"  
"Think about my own background and keep it in perspective, Uncle Jack."  
"You don't have to call me that. I'm still the same friend you've had all this time, unless you don't want me to be."  
"Why wouldn't I want that?"  
"Why settle for a cheap copy when you can have the original, especially when the original is actively reaching out to you again."  
"You're not a cheap copy." Cassie gave him a hug.  
Jack felt slightly relieved to have spilled everything, but he sensed that his friendship with Cassie would deteriorate further.


	3. The Burst

Chapter 3: The Burst

Jack was correct about his friendship with Cassie. He saw that she honestly tried to accept him as a separate friend from the original Jack O'Neill. With a better understanding of what happened at the picnic, Cassie even tried to restore their friendship to where it was before she made a move, but Jack knew that he couldn't be good friends with Cassie anymore. He figured that subconsciously, Cassie was aware, too. He saw some discomfort in her when he noticed her goofing off in the halls. Before, Cassie would have included Jack but now she'd stiffen slightly and head towards class or strike up a superficial conversation with Jack. This reaction was what Jack had tried to avoid, why he didn't want to tell her who he was. Jack understood that Cassie felt supervised by Uncle Jack at school now. He inadvertently made school less fun for her, and he felt guilty for it.  
Jack sought out his old friends more and tried to become more engaging at lunch. However, all anyone wanted to talk to him about was how he was a hero. Still reeling from Janet's death and feeling anger when he learned about the documentary that captured it, Jack was uncomfortable with this new status and the special treatment he received. He was especially frustrated when he turned in an assignment late and wasn't penalized.  
Jack also became a national celebrity when the details of his involvement finally leaked. He started to spend more time at Daniel's and took days off from school to avoid all the attention he was receiving. Daniel even gave him a key to his apartment so Jack wouldn't have to wait for Daniel to return to use his place.  
During one day when Jack was at school, he was called to the principal's office. When he arrived, he saw Major Davis.  
"Jack. It's nice to finally meet you."  
"It's good to see you, Major."  
"Have a seat, Jack" the principal told him.  
For the next twenty minutes, Major Davis revealed a plot to kidnap Jack for reasons that were kept classified. According to a source, two people were going to pose as a reporter and a parent looking to move his family to Colorado Springs and trying to decide which school district in which to live. These agents planned to create a diversion and kidnap Jack in the ensuing chaos.  
"What kind of diversion?" Jack asked.  
"When our source released this information, that hadn't been decided yet," Major Davis explained. "He's under the impression that it was going to put lives at risk."  
Jack found it difficult to contain his anger. "So what have you all done so far?"  
"The FBI has apprehended the two," Major Davis answered. "Whether or not there's enough evidence to charge them, I don't know. Our source assured us, though, that this was a tremendous setback. If they try to implement a second attempt, it won't be for months."  
"That's not very reassuring," the principal chimed in.  
"No, but we'll all be keeping a close eye, of course, and we believe our source will be able to come through again if there is a second plot."  
Major Davis continued trying to reduce the principal's concerns. After the meeting ended, Jack accompanied Davis to his car to ask the questions that Davis couldn't answer in front of the principal.  
"Is this the NID?" Jack asked.  
"Yes. Malcolm Barrett was the source."  
"Will he be all right?"  
"He thinks so. He covered his tracks well."  
"So about these two people . . ."  
"The NID is condemning their plot, as expected. They claim that these two acted on their own and not for the organization."  
"All right. Thanks a lot for coming, Major."  
"Of course, Jack." Davis saw that there was something on Jack's mind. "Are you still concerned about the NID?"  
"No, I just wanted to know who Malcolm contacted."  
"SGC."  
"No offense, Major, but why are you the one briefing me on this?"  
"Anubis is coming to Earth. SGC is in overdrive, so they asked me to handle this."  
"All right. I guess that explains why Daniel has been hard to reach this past week; well, harder than usual."  
"So how's everything going with you, by the way? Your fifteen minutes are here."  
"Yeah, but because of it, I could have endangered some lives."  
"That's not your fault, Jack."  
"I know, but I still feel responsible."  
"Well, you shouldn't, especially since you might have saved many lives. So, have you thought about what you want to do after high school?"  
"The academy, I guess."  
"You're starting from scratch?"  
"Believe me, I don't want to do that. To be frank, I do feel entitled to the rank of colonel. I have all the knowledge a colonel has. Even if this body didn't put in that effort, I still feel it. Loki literally created me to be a colonel and after dealing with all that, I don't think it's too much to ask."  
"What's stopping you from asking for it?"  
"People like you who have put in the effort and are trying to get promoted. It'd be unfair to the rest of you if a clone just conveniently leapfrogged over all of you."  
"You shouldn't let that hold you back. You'd be doing the country a service if you're out in the field as soon as possible."  
"Thanks for that thought, Major, but I'll stick with the slow path."  
"If that's the case, maybe you should look to expand your areas of expertise. Anyway, I should head back and I don't want to be responsible for you missing more of your class. I'll see you around."  
"Thanks again. Bye."  
Jack felt tempted to call up SGC. News of Anubis' impending arrival troubled him, but he didn't want to be a distraction.

Jack joined his usual group for lunch. Jenn started talking about how she wanted to take French the next school year to communicate better with her maternal grandparents. Emme commented on the longevity of their marriage. From there, the conversation quickly devolved into one about flings at school. Despite his preference for the first topic, Jack was relieved that the group wasn't talking anymore about how he stopped the gunmen.  
"Jack," Levi began. "I noticed you and Cassie haven't been hanging out much anymore."  
"It's complicated."  
Jenn laughed. "Yeah, good explanation there, Jack. Really, why'd you two break up"  
"Oh. We were never actually together. She was just a friend. We still are friends, I suppose. We're just not very close anymore. Jenn, do you know how your grandparents met?"  
"My grandfather was a law student. He did a thing one summer at a law firm and my grandmother's family was there to get some help."  
Levi shifted the topic to schools. "My dad wants me to end up in law school. He's pressuring me apply to universities that have law schools so I can set up some connections."  
"What do you want to do?" asked Levi's friend Emile.  
"I'm not opposed to being a lawyer. My dad's always wanted me to be one, so I've never really knew much about any other path to take."  
Jack joined in. "What does your dad do?"  
"Not law. He works for the state, but he's surrounded by lawyers all the time. I think he looks up to their lifestyle."

Weeks continued on as Jack felt himself slipping into an automatic mode at school. He continued to gradually withdraw from the school's academic and social environments but still appreciated the end of his fame. He also got a hold of Daniel several times. Daniel told him about Anubis, the original O'Neill's second download of the Ancients' repository of knowledge, and Teal'c's temporary apartment.  
"My school offers Latin," Jack told Daniel during one conversation.  
"Are you thinking about taking it?"  
"I think the snippets of Ancient that I know have made me a tad interested."  
"You should go for it." Daniel paused. "Jack, how have you been feeling these days? It seems you haven't been yourself much."  
"Which self?"  
"Ummm . . . never mind."

The end of the school year finally came and Jack went to Cassie's commencement. He saw the rest of SG-1 in attendance and opted to keep his distance. When the ceremony was over, he gave Cassie a smile as she saw him. She was hugging the original Jack when she caught him staring. Without saying anything to her, the younger Jack waved and left.

Jack called SGC the next day and recognized the voice that answered.  
"Walter! How's it going?"  
"Fine," Sergeant Harriman replied cautiously, not recognizing the caller's voice.  
"Could you connect me to General Hammond, please?"  
"General Hammond is no longer at this facility."  
"What happened?"  
"He got promoted and is now at another location."  
"Oh, good for him. Daniel didn't mention that. So who's the base commander now?"  
"Who is this?"  
"Jack O'Neill."  
"No, it isn't."  
"It's his clone. We've met, Walter."  
"Right, right. Sorry. Well, sir, the new base commander is you."  
"Oh, interesting . . . Daniel didn't mention that, either."  
"Did Daniel tell you that you're Brigadier General now?"  
"Whoa. What was I thinking accepting that?"  
"Something to ask yourself, I suppose."  
"Yes, right. Can I speak to myself, please?"  
"Sorry, you're in a meeting with SG-14 right now."  
"Can you transfer me anyway? I'll leave a message."  
"Sure thing."  
"Thanks, Walter. I'll talk to you later."  
"Bye."

Two hours later, the original Jack O'Neill finally found some free time to listen to his messages. He perked up when he heard his clone's voice.  
"Hey, old man," the clone began. "So this thing, this high school thing and this new life . . . I don't like how it's turned out. I'm not sure how to handle all this anymore, so I have a request. It's a bit strange . . . "

At the request of the older Jack, the younger Jack paid a visit at home the next night. Sitting down on a couch, the older began. "So, what made you want to leave Earth?"  
"It's not just one thing. It's a culmination of reasons that make me feel trapped."  
"Daniel said you did well in school."  
"Yeah. I was well-liked by everyone and got a 4.0, but then I realized I overshot, even before the guns incident. I just wanted to have fun, have the great experience we didn't have the first time, but everyone ended up expecting so much out of me. It all felt like a responsibility. On top of that, I think I messed up with Cassie. I can't fix it but even if I did, she still wouldn't be at Mountain Springs anymore."  
"Yeah, she mentioned a few things."  
"Great, thanks for confirming, old man."  
"It's not like that . . . Maybe you should have started after high school, then. Air Force Academy or college."  
"No. That's another thing. I don't want to go to the Air Force Academy or anything like it, graduate, and go through the motions. It feels like everything's already written out for me . . . no, that's exactly how it is, and I won't have the patience for it."  
"Thought about an alternative?"  
"Yeah, going Daniel or Carter's route, but that's not who I am. I only see one path for me, and I don't want to do it again, not without them beside me. "  
"You know . . ."  
"I don't want to follow in your footsteps, old man. On Earth, it looks like I don't have a choice. On another planet, maybe I can get a real fresh start, except the alpha site if you're base commander here."  
A knock at the door interrupted the conversation. The older Jack answered and ushered Daniel inside.  
"Hi, Jacks," Daniel chirped.  
"What are you doing here?" the clone asked.  
"I asked him to come with a list of planets that would be good for you."  
"You already figured I'd have a valid excuse to leave the planet?  
"Of course," the older Jack responded as he and Daniel took their seats on the couch.  
"Daniel," the young Jack began. "What do you think about that planet with the small guppy-like things that fly around?"  
"P3X-433," Daniel replied. The summers there get very humid and the temperatures can be scorching. The residents there are accustomed to it, their skin has adapted over time. It might be a bit much for you. I think the best for you is P2X-387, which SG-9 visited. I've visited there a few times myself. The climate there is Earth-like with long winters and short summers in the region where SG-9 stayed. However, they experience earthquakes periodically. They're not as technologically advanced as we are, but they're not doing badly at all. Lieutenant Grogan said it reminded him of the sixties."  
"That's tolerable to me, as long as I find some way to play my DVDs."  
"They keep time a little bit differently, but it's easy to learn. They observe a day as a full rotation of the planet like we do, but it takes their planet around 22 of our hours to do so. They have a term for a year; it's equivalent to 500 days and isn't related to the revolution around their star. They also have a month. That's equivalent to just under 18 days and it's based on the time it takes for the large moon to revolve around the planet. The months generally aren't categorized with days and years like with us; it's just another unit of time they frequently use. The humans there have a life expectancy of around 77 of our years, but best of all they all look very young until old age kicks in at around 70-75. You'd fit right in." Daniel hesitated. "Also, if you are so inclined, you can procreate . . ."  
"Good to know," both Jacks said simultaneously.  
"So what do the inhabitants call their planet?" the older Jack asked.  
"Iggdraslee."  
"Fitting for someone connected to the Asgard, I suppose," the younger Jack said. He noticed the confusion on his older counterpart's face. "It's something I picked up this past year. Don't worry about it." Daniel smiled, knowing the reference. Daniel continued describing the planet before the younger Jack moved on to make fun of the older Jack for accepting his promotions.

After given a week to make an absolute decision, Jack decided to move to Iggdraslee. He made arrangements with the older Jack for his belongings and accounts, though choosing to keep his driver's license, passport, and social security card just in case he ever came back, while Daniel spent time in Iggdraslee making arrangements for Jack.  
Along the way to SGC, Jack left a message on Cassie's voicemail. "Hi, there. Someone with a big mouth might have already told you, but in case no one did, I wanted to tell you personally that I'm moving. I didn't get the second chance I wanted here; maybe I'll get it in Iggdraslee. Anyway, I just wanted to talk to you one last time. I'm sorry we couldn't be better friends. If I ever visit the planet again, maybe we'll run into each other. Take care and good luck in school this fall. Bye."  
The first person that Jack saw as left the elevator was Teal'c. They bowed to each other.  
"It has been a while, O'Neill."  
"Yes, Teal'c. How have you been holding up?"  
"Well, and you?"  
"I'm fine. I've been regularly practicing a lot of what you've taught me."  
Teal'c followed the two Jacks to the gateroom where Sam and Daniel were. Sam gave the younger Jack a hug.  
"It's nice to see you again, Jack," Sam said. "These aren't exactly the best circumstances, but better than last time."  
"Yeah, I'm sorry we didn't get to talk then."  
"It's all right." Sam handed Jack an IDC. "Just in case you need it. It's your personal one."  
The older O'Neill yelled up to the control room to activate the stargate. As a pool finally formed, Jack realized he had never gone through it before in this body. He said good-bye to Teal'c and Sam, waved at Walter, gave his counterpart the only look he could think to give and mouthed _Thanks_, and stepped through the event horizon with Daniel.

Daniel spent two days with Jack in Iggdraslee, teaching him the local customs and environment and introducing him to many of Jack's new neighbors. They stayed in a place now belonging to Jack. It resembled a suburban studio apartment in both size and function. Finally, it was time for Daniel to leave and the two approached the stargate.  
"Thanks for doing all of this for me," Jack said.  
"It's no problem. It was actually a bit of fun."  
"How did you get the funds to make these arrangements for me?"  
"The people here love Earth's dried fruits and they have something pricey here closely resembling pineapples. I came with a lot these past few times and got lots of currency back."  
"I wish you told me. I would have brought plenty with me," Jack commented as he dialed.  
Daniel laughed. "I think I've set you up well enough. You'll be fine." He hugged Jack as the vortex formed. "Bye, Jack."  
"Bye, Daniel, and thanks again."


	4. Amiltorand

Chapter 4: Amiltorand

Jack adapted quickly to his new life in Therratain, a village located two miles from the stargate in the country called Merrusall. The four-story apartment building Jack lived in was the tallest structure in Therratain, which resembled a cross between a rural commune and a young suburban city, except that people traveled using small ships, most of which could only fit two people. This contrast was a lot to take in at first, but Jack got used to it.  
"Hello, Tolaine," Jack greeted his next door neighbor as he entered his ship. Tolaine waved at him. She and her sister Jira were the first friends that Jack made after Daniel left. Jack continued on to his five-mile commute to Amiltorand, a biological research company where he worked as a security officer. Amiltorand was located in a town called Alspinar. Jack felt even more comfortable there as people from other planets regularly came for commercial reasons. Although Jack still looked young compared to other professionals in Alspinar, no one thought anything of it.  
After parking his ship and approaching the doors of Amiltorand on foot, Jack was caught off guard by the thick doors suddenly and quickly swinging open.  
"Stop him!" a woman shouted as a man bolted out. Jack quickly caught up to the runner and tackled him. They were soon joined by the shouter, Jeenvi, Amiltorand's junior financial director, and other security officers. Both Jack and Jeenvi were called to a meeting to discuss the incident. Corgol, the runner, had planned to discreetly slip Jeenvi a note; he had information concerning the whereabouts of Jeenvi's brother Gregan, who disappeared on his way to a new prison in Andurflett, and Corgol wanted data in return.  
"One of the first things my neighbors told me when I asked about current events was about Gregan," Jack mentioned in the meeting. "They said Gregan committed fraud and killed someone in order to complete his crime."  
"Yes, you're right," Jeenvi said.  
"My neighbors thought he escaped," Jack noted.  
"Your neighbors are wrong. There was a lot of blood shed in the containment car where Gregan was. Tests indicated that the blood was his. He was abducted."  
"That's not the point of this meeting right now," responded Magtus, the director of security. "I would like to find out if Corgol is working for a competitor of ours and which one. Otherwise, I think we have the information we need and can turn him over to regional security."  
"What about my brother?"  
"I will not use Amiltorand's resources to locate him. The authorities will handle that when they have Corgol in their custody."  
"We've helped the authorities before when we had the means to do so," Jeenvi mentioned. Frustration was clear in her voice.  
"Yes, but whatever your brother's situation is, our company has never helped the authorities capture a fugitive or rescue a murderer and a fraud."  
Magtus brushed off Jeenvi and assigned another security officer, Brisfolt, to interrogate Corgol. However, Brisfolt was unable to get any information before regional security forces took Corgol away.

Jack stayed in Alspinar after work to catch Iggdraslee's version of movies. The low quality of the presentation reminded Jack of the 1960s, as Lieutenant Grogan noted to Daniel. However, the people here supplemented the film presentation with a quiet, live score and occasionally with smells to enhance the experience. The film that Jack watched was an allegory of the Asgardian creation myth, confirming his suspicions that the Asgard had been involved with Iggdraslee's development, though what influences they had seem to have been replaced by secular lifestyles.  
After leaving the theater, Jack decided to walk around Alspinar to become better acquainted with the area. As he approached a regional security office near Amiltorand, he saw a figure on the rooftop. Jack ran into the office to alert the people there, but found them sleeping. He went out again and climbed onto the roof.  
Jack carefully navigated through pipes and equipment on the roof to look for traces of the person he saw. It didn't take long before he found a figure hunched over a panel slowly taking apart sections of it with fine instruments. Fixed on this individual, Jack was surprised when he was suddenly attacked by a second person.  
Jack was able to determine that this second person was a man based on his grunts when he kicked or punched with full force. Despite this man's efforts, Jack parried easily before going on the offensive. After ducking from a punch, Jack pushed his right shoulder into his opponent, making him stumble. The man regained his composure, but Jack was able to land a punch to the face. Jack followed with a kick behind the man's knees, making him fall. An elbow to the chest accelerated the descent. As Jack stood over his opponent, now lying flat on his back and struggling to move, the first figured pointed a flashlight in Jack's direction, illuminating his face.  
"Jack?" the man questioned from the ground.  
Jack recognized the voice immediately. "Brisfolt. What are you doing here? Who's that?"  
"It's Jeenvi," she replied for Brisfolt. "What are you doing here, Jack?"  
"I saw one of you running around up here suspiciously and then saw everyone sleeping in the building, so I thought I'd have a look."  
"This place is not your responsibility," Jeenvi countered. "It isn't the time for you to assume such a responsibility, either."  
"I'm just a concerned person, Jeenvi. So what are you two doing here, anyway?"  
Jeenvi and Brisfolt looked at each other, unsure if they should tell Jack their intentions. Brisfolt finally decided, however, that they couldn't afford to risk alienating this witness, especially if Jack might find out the answer himself if he was unsatisfied with a fake explanation.  
"We're here to confront Corgol. I was unhappy about being unable to complete my interrogation earlier today before regional security interrupted."  
Jeenvi chimed in, "I need to know about my brother, Jack."

Jeenvi went back to getting access from the ceiling. She had located Corgol's cell and planned to drop in. Jack followed Jeenvi and Brisfolt into Corgol's cell, telling them that he was willing to help as a "concerned person" who had a little bit of experience in the area. Brisolt injected a light blue liquid into Corgol, who soon woke up groggily.  
Jeenvi leaned over Corgol. "Wake up, wall mold, and tell us where Gregan is."  
"Suthraldin Harbor," Corgol whispered. "Suthraldin Harbor . . ."  
"Which building?"  
"Tolformourend's offices."  
"How many people are there?" asked Jeenvi.  
"Two . . . two . . . three . . . four . . . four . . ." Corgol responded.  
Jeenvi turned to Brisfolt. "I think that mixture might have been too potent."  
"I never learned much about these formulas," Brisfolt explained. "Combining the agent to wake him up with the agent to compel a response is very delicate. We have the information, anyway. I think we can leave now."  
"You can't get away . . . " Corgol whispered, still groggy and barely able to move.  
"We came through the roof and avoided the area around the door to your cell, Corgol," Jeenvi said. "We were careful to avoid the cameras. The only person who knows we came is you, and no one will believe you."  
Jack, Jeenvi, and Brisfolt climbed back onto the roof and left the area.  
"How long will everyone else be asleep?" Jack asked.  
"Not long," Jeenvi answered. "There's no harm, either, if you were concerned."  
"Won't anyone be suspicious?"  
"Regional security officers here have a reputation for falling asleep at these hours. When those people wake up, they'll be too embarrassed to see what truly happened. You can go home now, Jack."  
Jack didn't want to leave. He missed seeing action and he didn't get much in his current position, not that he usually minded. "Please let me help, Jeenvi. If there are more than four people at the harbor, I might be useful."  
Brisfolt nodded to Jeenvi and the three continued to Tolformourend, a small two-story office building having only one entrance. It was part of a row of offices.  
"Even though it wasn't suspicious, you took a risky move, Jeenvi," Jack said. He voiced this comment less out of concern or warning, but more out of curiosity about how far Jeenvi was willing to go for her brother.  
"I was willing to take it, Jack," Jeenvi responded.  
Brisfolt chuckled slightly to himself.  
Jeenvi noticed the chuckle despite how quiet it was. "Why are you laughing?"  
"I don't think this was much riskier than what you did two nights ago."  
"Do tell," Jack said happily.  
"Jeenvi tracked down a relative and a close friend of the man Gregan murdered. She didn't confront them directly, but dug into their lives enough before she saw they were not complicit in Gregan's disappearance."  
Jack smiled. He started to appreciate Jeenvi more.  
As the three closed in on Tolformourend, Brisfolt gave Jack an extra gun. After making sure there was no one around outside and hearing if there was anyone inside near the door, Brisfolt picked the door's lock and opened the door a crack. They could hear the murmurs of two people plotting to collect Corgol, violently if necessary.  
As the two men headed out, Brisfolt quickly and quietly closed the door. He, Jack, and Jeenvi hid as the two left. Jack and Brisfolt tackled the two soon after. They gagged and restrained them and brought them back into the office. With Jeenvi watching over the two with her own gun, Brisfolt and Jack took out their guns and proceeded throughout the building with Jack taking the second floor and Brisfolt taking the first. Brisfolt came across two individuals, one with a gun. They quickly engaged in a gunfight that ended when Brisfolt shot his opponent in the left shoulder. During the fight, the other person ran out and saw his two accomplices bound. Jeenvi was able to surprise him as she kicked the man in the stomach and punched him twice into unconsciousness.  
On the second floor, the gunfight caught Jack's attention, allowing one man to kick him onto the floor. Jack dropped his gun and his opponent tried to reach it. However, Jack was able to stop him by grabbing his legs and lunging into his back. Jack knocked the man's head against the floor before grabbing his arms and pinning him down.  
"Is everyone all right down there?" Jack yelled out. Brisfolt and Jeenvi both told him they were all right, so Jack took his opponent down to the ground level and Jeenvi saw him.  
"Gregan!" Jeenvi exclaimed.  
"This is your brother? " Jack questioned as he loosed his grip. Gregan shook Jack off him and ran to Jeenvi, hugging her. Jeenvi noticed a sizeable wound near Gregan's right wrist.  
"I didn't know who that guy was," Gregan explained. "I didn't even know you were here."  
Jeenvi laughed. "It's fine, Gregan. We're all fine now."

Gregan identified Corgol as the mastermind behind the plot to obtain Amiltorand's research data. Because Amiltorand was targeted, its security team was given access to statements that the five conspirators gave to the regional security office. Jack looked through them the next day at work because no one was willing to tell if a corporate competitor was affiliated with the plot. By looking at all five statements, Jack concluded that the plotters knew that Amiltorand had invested a large chunk of money in microbiological equipment and hired two experts two years ago. The budget for one division that worked with genes doubled since then until one month ago. Since then, only one expert was being paid by the company. Jack called Jeenvi down to his office and asked about this spending.  
"The company decided to undertake some research on gene therapy following some related research in another department," Jeenvi explained. "We hired two geneticists and bought a lot of supplies to conduct that research. The department completed data collection approximately one month ago. Since then, a team of statisticians and one geneticist have been analyzing the data and writing up their results. They are near completion."  
"The five people who kidnapped your brother knew about these expenditures." Jack shared his specific findings with Jeenvi.  
"Only a few of us knew such specific details, Jack."  
After Jack and Jeenvi concluded that there was no link between the five conspirators and the people who knew Amiltorand's financial details, they paid Gregan a visit at the regional security office where he was temporarily held. When Jack and Jeenvi arrived, everyone was asleep.  
"Is this suspicious now?" Jack asked in a less-than-serious tone.  
"Definitely. This gas was made by Amiltorand, and we hold exclusive rights to use it. Whenever regional security needs it, one of our technicians goes to where it's needed and releases it. Regional security never touches it."  
Jack and Jeenvi made their way through the office and reached Gregan's cell. They saw two people injecting him with a blue liquid to awaken him. When they put Gregan back on the floor to let him wake up, Jack pulled his gun on them.  
"Step away from him now," Jack told them. "Who are you?"  
" I recognize one of them," Jeenvi remarked. "Milvar from Welsofraigon."  
"That's one of our competitors for government contracts."  
"Yes. What are you two doing here?"  
"We just need to have a little discussion with this agent of ours, so mind your business."  
In seconds, Jeenvi put the pieces together in her mind. "Gregan is my brother. The information that your company has was stolen from me. If you were better at your jobs, you would have known that. Welsofraigon is about to face a criminal complaint it doesn't have the size or power to face and Gregan won't be able to help you, so get out while you still can."  
As the realization of what happened dawned on Jack, the two Welsofraigon employees paled and left. Wanting to be involved, Jack simply glared at them. Gregan was left on the floor. All he could do was stare at his sister.  
"How did this happen, Gregan?" Jeenvi asked coldly.  
"One of the department directors at Welsofraigon knew about my legal troubles and about my relation to you. He approached me, asked me to get information and in exchange, he would help me. He assured me that Welsofraigon had the resources and connections to limit the troubles I faced." Gregan stood up and continued his confession. "Before I was to be sent to Andurflett, I went through your files and realized that your company had made an advance in genetics, so Welsofraigon arranged for my escape with Corgol's help. We made it look like an abduction by cutting my wrist and spilling my blood everywhere."  
By the time Gregan finished speaking, regional security officers had awoken and learned what was happening. As they approached Jack, Jeenvi, and Gregan, Jeenvi punched Gregan's face with enough force to break one of his facial bones. Jeenvi promptly left and Jack followed.  
"Listen, I'm sorry he betrayed you," Jack began. "You were so worried about him, and –"  
Jeenvi cut him off. "I'll deal with that later. We still have another matter requiring our attention."  
Back at Amiltorand, Magtus joined Jack and Jeenvi at the latter's request as they visited Melgorf, a pharmaceutical research assistant. When they found Melgorf, he was busy watering plants that stored high concentrations of antioxidants in their leaves.  
Jeenvi didn't bother giving Melgorf time to notice their arrival. "Someone gave Welsofraigon a weak sample of the 3OE8 synthesis gas. Not a lot of people have access to our earlier prototypes, fewer would care to keep the weaker models. You're one of them. You're also a friend of Gregan's. I don't doubt that you played a role in everything that's happened. And I know that you are well aware of the recent troubles we faced. Tell us everything now."  
Melgorf could offer no explanation. He didn't try to match wits against Jeenvi, so he simply nodded. Starting with Melgorf, Corgol, and Gregan, Magtus and the legal department initiated criminal complaints that spread to Welsofraigon. Within a week, many of the company's employees were arrested, including the company's general director.  
"Welsofraigon won't recover," Jeenvi told Jack when she paid him a visit. Magtus had asked Jack to write a report of what had happened and he was updating it when Jeenvi came to him. Jeenvi shared this opinion not to help Jack with his report, but to share what she considered good news. "Their legal department is not equipped to handle this degree of trouble. The company will have to hire external experts that will cost far more money than the company can spend on this matter. Even with the best legal help, though, the people involved will still be imprisoned. Welsofraigon will face a shortage of both funds and leadership personnel."  
"How are things with you and Gregan?"  
"I'm not as mad anymore, but we will still need a lot of time to repair our relationship."  
"At least you're not giving up on it yet."  
"It never occurred to me to do so."  
Jeenvi left Jack to his work. He finally finished his report and moved on back to his security post.

The next evening, Jack went to the stargate and dialed back to Earth. He punched in his IDC and tossed an envelope addressed to Daniel into the event horizon. The original Jack had given his clone permission to regularly send Daniel letters through the stargate to keep him updated on his new life.


	5. Justice and Reconciliation

Chapter 5: Justice and Reconciliation

Nearly seven years passed since Jack made Iggdraslee his home. The number of letters that he sent to Daniel through the stargate averaged once every two months. Jack, however, never went through to Earth. On one occasion, he decided that he had no choice.  
"It's Jack O'Neill Jr.'s IDC, sir," Walter told General Landry.  
"Open the iris."  
Seconds later, Jack stepped through the stargate and took a large breath of Earth's air. He threw open his arms to take in the atmosphere of guns aimed at him.  
"Stand down," General Landry ordered. "Welcome back to Earth, Jack."

Forty minutes later and after introductions, Jack briefed General Landry and SG-1 on the situation in Iggdraslee. Being on base at the time, Sam joined the meeting as well, much to Jack's relief.  
"Earthquakes occur around twice a year in Merrusall. Once in a while, there's a big one. Five months ago, the country experienced the largest it's felt in nearly ninety years. What we thought was a mountain fell apart, revealing a vast building intact. Because I live nearby and didn't exercise the caution that others did, I was the first one in there. It was technologically complex, reminding me specifically of the Asgard. It turns out I was right. After a month or so of prodding by scientists, a giant hologram appeared claiming to be Forseti."  
"He was one of the Aesir, a major deity," Daniel interrupted. "He was affiliated with justice and reconciliation and some believed that his rulings always satisfied all parties, mortal and immortal."  
"The hologram explained that there were riches that he could offer worthy citizens," Jack continued. "Of the 89 countries on Iggdraslee, 59 have claimed in the planetary court that sovereignty treaties cannot apply to the building due to its global importance. However, Merrusall has cordoned off the area near the building and refused entry to unauthorized personnel. Apparently, there's already been some tension due to the stargate being in Merrusall so war seems like a possibility now. Oh, and cults of not only Forseti, but many others have ballooned up in size and influence. There might be more countries joining the 59 if these groups have any say."  
"What has the hologram done since then?" General Landry asked.  
"The people there are constantly trying to get him back. Every now and then, he does return. He's talked about high expectations, the benevolent relationship between the Asgard and humans, superficial things. We're not close to determining what riches Forseti claims to be able to give."  
"In Norse myth, his hall was called Glitnir," Daniel explained, deviating a little from the dialogue.  
"Yeah," Jack replied. "That's what the planet is calling the building."  
"Are you authorized to go into the building?" Cameron asked Jack.  
"Yes. So far, I'm the only one who has a remote idea about how the systems work, but I can only operate the very basics. I'm hoping that Colonel Carter and Daniel can come to Glitnir and check it out. The Chancellor of Merrusall seemed excited when I told him about people who could operate its systems much better than I."  
"Granted," General Landry told everyone.  
"I was hoping for the rest of SG-1 and another SG team to come as well. The countries could use a mediator both before and after the planetary court issues a ruling. There's a good chance the other chancellors will accept their presence despite their connection to me. Plus, I'm concerned about the effects that the cults might have."  
"Vala, Teal'c, and Colonel Mitchell will go, too," General Landry indicated. "I'll also send SG-9 given their previous visit."  
"Thank you, General. How's contact with the real Asgard these days? We might need them to intervene at some point."

Jack later joined Daniel in his office as the latter packed. Daniel explained to Jack in better detail how the Asgard race died and what they left behind for Earth. Jack didn't bother trying to mask his sadness.  
"I take it you miss this place, too?" Daniel asked.  
"Of course I miss it. I've traveled through the stargate a few times, though, when my company needed a security detail for sensitive information."  
"Well, that's good. I read all your letters. I'm sorry I didn't reply, but I didn't know if letters I sent through would get anywhere."  
Jack laughed. "Don't worry, I never expected anything in return. Do you know how Cassie is?"  
"Yeah, she's great. She's doing well in medical school now. She's pretty sure she'll specialize in emergency medicine." Daniel took a second before asking the question he really wanted to ask. "Now that the other you is in DC, do you think you'd want to come back here?"  
"No, I don't think so . . . "  
"How about the alpha site?"  
"No, I'm settled in Iggdraslee now. It's my home. Hopefully, I'm also about to settle down . . . "  
"Already?" Daniel was surprised.  
"I've known her for almost seven years, Daniel. Do you remember Tolaine? She was my neighbor when I first moved there."  
"Vaguely, yes. What does she do?"  
"She just started a new job as an economist for the Merrusall government."  
"Not bad. So when are you going to propose?"  
"When all this Glitnir mess gets cleaned up. I don't think I want to be planning a wedding and trying to prevent the end of the planet at the same time. Plus, I've been on leave from my job since I got dragged into the conflict."

Within three hours, Jack, Sam, SG-1, and SG-9 were in Glitnir. Their arrival coincided with the Chancellor's visit and that gave Jack an opportunity to introduce everyone to him. After introductions, the Earth group prepared to split up.  
"Sir, SG-9's specialty is diplomacy," Cameron told Chancellor Halkob. "We believe they will be a great asset. I'll also tag along for other reasons."  
Daniel chimed in before Cameron could continue. "Vala here has executive experience as a planetary leader. She will be able to contribute much to your efforts as well."  
Vala smiled at the unexpected compliment.  
Jack saw an opportunity to speak up, too. "I believe Teal'c should stay here. The additional security he can provide might be helpful."  
After the six SGC diplomatic team members gave their weapons to Chancellor Halkob's security team, they left with the Chancellor's entourage while Daniel and Sam began looking at Glitnir's systems.  
"I'm glad for Vala's experience," Jack told Daniel. "She might make a difference."  
"Probably not," Daniel countered. "I just didn't want her here. All this might be a bit tempting. I think she'll do less harm with the diplomats." Daniel looked around. "There isn't a lot of security here. Do we need more?"  
"No, we'll be fine. I just wanted Teal'c here. It'd feel like the old team again."  
Jack and Daniel gave each other the same knowing look before Sam came up to them.  
"As we expected," Sam began, "this is very much like the holograms in Cimmeria and K'Tau. The holographic projection of Forseti works the same way. I just need to examine the program a little more to find out what scenarios and responses it has stored."  
"What is Chancellor Halkob's opinion about all this?" Daniel asked.  
"He thinks it's just technology acting out. Thankfully, he doesn't believe in the Asgard."

Halkob took the opportunity during the trip back to Merrusall's capital to defend his position to the newcomers. "When Tillermayd found those quartz deposits, we never claimed any of it. When Padlerfalt started harvesting their blue ear leaves, we let them develop medicine themselves. Why should Glitnir be any different? The ramifications of the quartz and blue ear leaves spread worldwide then and there is no evidence that Forseti will do anything for Merrusall, much less the rest of the planet."  
"Jack said that Forseti promised riches," Vala said. "What do you think that means?"  
"Nothing that justifies the legal actions taken against us. The people who believe in Forseti probably expect nonmaterial enlightenment that can easily be shared without being at Glitnir. The people who don't mostly just expect the technology, none of which can be used by us anyway, not without Jack's help."  
During this explanation, an aide to the Chancellor received a quick call. "Sir," she addressed the Chancellor when he was finished. "The planetary court agrees with you. Glitnir belongs to Merrusall."  
"That's great news," Halkob claimed. "There will be a lot of anger, but at least we will be fighting verbally in rooms than physically outside Glitnir."

Back in Glitnir, Daniel repeatedly failed to activate several systems.  
"It's a good thing this was found when it was," Sam told the room. "The force field has drawn from one separate power source, and it's about to go out. I've figured out other details, too. This is actually a ship, but Forseti chose to hide it upright, so adjustments were made to the interior. It was never meant to be found, but Forseti considered that someone might come upon it, so he programmed the hologram before he left. The hologram is able to register vocal cues and respond. Like on K'Tau, it gives the impression that it's holding a very basic conversation. Now it appears that Forseti is willing to share the technology he left behind should it be found, but like on Cimmeria, the people here have to earn it. That might be the way to go from here."  
"Jack O'Neill indicated that dialogues with Forseti have been superficial," Teal'c mentioned. "Why has the test not begun?"  
"That might actually be because of Jack, but I'm not sure."  
"What did I do?"  
"Forseti's program is supposed to recognize genetic humans so the Goa'uld or whoever else wouldn't utilize the technology."  
"I'm a genetic human."  
"There's more to you than that. You possess the Ancient gene, you're a clone, and you have that DNA marker. Any one of those conditions or a combination could have prevented the program from conducting the test. I've been trying to bypass that block, but can't. I haven't encountered anything like this among the Asgard tech we were given. I think Forseti custom set this himself."  
"You mentioned the opportunity to utilize the technology," Daniel noted. "I've been having trouble getting anything up beyond the basics."  
"Right, I have, too," Sam replied. "The first thing I did here was access the hologram program, which operates from an interface that is different from the rest of the ship. That's the only reason why I was able to determine what I know. I'm hoping that I can get back into the interface for the hologram and from there access the rest. The other systems should operate once I establish a link through this proxy. I just need some time to do this."

Halkob walked out of his ship towards Merrusall's capital building while continuing to talk to the SG teams. "There will be no war. Because of the court's ruling, no country has a legal right to invade." Before Halkob could continue, an aide ran up to him.  
"Chancellor, we have thirty-eight ambassadors here threatening economic sanctions if their countries are not given access to Glitnir. Two of them even talked about destroying the building so that no one gets it."  
"Sanctions are the only option left to them now. Well, let them make their threats. As long as the stargate is in this country, I fear no economic retribution."  
"If I may, sir," Cameron said. "The six of us came to help keep the peace between the countries involved. Since we came all this way, can we take a shot at it? Surely you would prefer better relations with the other countries on this planet, especially if two are threatening destruction."  
"I suppose it would not hinder us if we all sat down somewhere and talked. Leepat, where are the ambassadors?"  
"We have them occupying the north conference room at this time."  
As Halkob entered the building and headed over with everyone else in tow, eight gunmen suddenly burst into the halls, holding the group hostage.  
"What is the meaning of this?" Halkob demanded.  
One of the gunman spoke up. "On behalf of the Dark Scames of Lathmaree, we are taking the actions that our country will not take. You will give Lathmaree full access to Glitnir."  
"I certainly will not! The planetary court has decreed that Glitnir belongs to Merrusall. Your country has no right to take this action!"  
"We do not represent the government of Lathmaree." The spokesman addressed his group. "Take their weapons, then take them to the ambassadors and keep them there. We will give them time to consider our demand."  
Vala whispered to Cameron. "Please tell me you have something left on you that you can keep hidden now and use later."  
"Sorry, Vala. The Chancellor's security team was very thorough before." Cameron turned to a security officer, Paimol. "It doesn't look like the Chancellor was correct after all."  
Paimol felt offended on the Chancellor's behalf. "Did you not understand that these rebels are operating outside of the law? They are ignoring not only our law and the planet's law, but their own."  
"What are they up to?"  
"This group has tried to overthrow their government many times before. I believe they want to get Glitnir to win support on Lathmaree and finally take control. Lathmaree has not indicated any desire for Glitnir before."  
When the rebels pushed the group into the north conference room, the collective of ambassadors began to yell at Halkob until they realized the situation. Six gunmen remained in the room, their guns pointed at the hostages. Two remained outside guarding the door. Eventually, the ambassadors resumed their verbal assaults.

Back at Glitnir, religious groups surrounded the building after hearing about the planetary court's ruling. Due to a brief moment of hesitation among Merrusall's troops, the religious groups got through and entered. At that point, Sam gained access to the rest of the ship's systems and turned on several of them. One of the systems alerted the group to the invasion.  
"They're making their way up fairly quickly," Daniel said. "Sam, can you stop them?"  
"I just did. I sealed off that section of the ship."  
Unaware to Jack, Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c, the ship's sensors did not detect individuals who were isolated from the others. Four people continued their way up, hoping to find a main location that could control all the functions.  
"I've also accessed Forseti's test program," Sam told her peers. "It would still take a lot of time to bypass the current block. I think it will be quicker to go through the test."  
"Let's do that then," Jack recommended.  
After Sam input some commands into a computer, Forseti reappeared.  
"Only the worthy can access the treasures of the Asgard," the hologram said. "You must prove your worth."  
The ship started to shake. Seconds later, it launched into the sky towards Iggdraslee's small moon. Jack, Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c did their best to hang onto a fixture.  
"I remember the first test in Cimmeria was a test of honor," Daniel said amongst the recommenced shaking. "We had to balance ourselves on a small beam to avoid dropping into a deep chasm, but the threat was never real. We were never in danger."  
"Do you believe this is the case now, Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked.  
"Well, I hope it's the case!"  
A section of the floor dropped near the four and an escape pod surfaced. Its small size could accommodate only one person.  
"Well," Sam said. "This is suddenly convenient for anyone who wants to leave. And we'd face a difficult choice. It has to be part of the test."  
Part of the ship's exterior started to fall apart, revealing windows. The four individuals noticed that they were approaching the moon quickly. Even though they all believed it was a test, they still braced for impact as they saw the rocks on the surface. Suddenly, the ship stopped moving. Jack, Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c looked up to see the ship back by the mountains as the pieces that appeared to have fallen off came back together.  
Forseti reappeared. "You have shown honor by declining to fight for escape. Now, you must demonstrate mental capacity that would permit an appreciation of what the Asgard has to offer."  
"That was the easy part, this will be real," Daniel cautioned.  
A large circle appeared over everyone's heads. A vibrating sound then permeated the air, followed by a bang, a screech, and one tap that lasted as long as the bang. This sequence of sounds repeated with a break of two seconds between intervals.  
"Everyone," Daniel said quietly. "Keep your voices low. I have an idea, I just need to confirm."  
After nearly a minute of Jack, Sam, and Teal'c staring at Daniel, waiting for him to act, Daniel finally opened his mouth.  
"Ahhhhhhhh," Daniel said loudly during a two-second break.  
Forseti reappeared. "You have done well. I have found you worthy of the Asgard's gifts. I trust this ship to you with the knowledge of how to use it. Use it well for the improvement of your planet. Continue to demonstrate your worthiness." A code appeared in the circle above everyone before it and the circle disappeared. Forseti's hologram, however, stayed in the room.  
Sam soon spoke up. "I input the code into the one system that was already available when you first came in, Jack. I have access now to what is essentially the ship's manual presented in a way that is easily understood. The manual doesn't actually help us much; it's mostly redundant given what we know, but it would be invaluable to Iggdraslee. However, there is a set of controls that I haven't seen before. That might be worth a look."  
"That's the gift, then," Daniel declared. "Asgard technology and the means to use it. I feel a little honored now that the Asgard gave what they did to us before they died."  
Jack spoke up. "I want to get something straight. There was that bang and tap, so instances of one unit. Using that, I'm guessing three and four units for the other noises. I'm right, yes? I remember from that mission report that pi was the answer to Thor's question. It looks like it's the answer again."  
"Yeah, I'm not familiar with the musical culture of the Asgard or Iggdraslee, but I took a chance that both cultures recognize wind as a means to make music like we do. That was the only method that I could readily identify as missing."  
"What was the tap?" Jack asked.  
"I'm not sure. You're the one who's been here for seven years. Didn't you ever listen to music here?"  
"Actually, not that much."  
"In seven years?"  
"I'm . . . sorry?"  
"Really?"  
Sam interrupted the exchange. "I think we should get back on topic, guys, and –"  
One of the four religion-based intruders made his way to the group and interrupted. "In the name of Forseti, I demand you step away from him! His wealth belongs to us all!" he cried.  
Teal'c answered him. "We have already unlocked Forseti's gift. We are prepared to share this with you should you – "  
The intruder interrupted again. "And who are you to be blessed by Forseti?"  
Jack smiled. "I am the child that Loki brought into existence to ward off Ragnorak."  
Jack's response took everyone by surprise. He used the occasion to quickly pull out a thick rod and throw it at the intruder, knocking him unconscious.  
"Where did that come from?" Daniel asked.  
"I always carry something on me, Daniel."  
"No, the Loki thing."  
"Oh, I just made that up for fun."  
As this exchange occurred, Sam entered the ship's system and used sensitive tracking to locate the other three intruders. After learning about them, Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c went off to apprehend them. Sam stayed to access data from Forseti's program and the unfamiliar controls.

Back in Merrusall's capital, shouting between Halkob and the ambassadors continued. Cameron used their loud voices to his advantage and plotted an escape with Vala and SG-9 and with input from the Chancellor's security team.  
Cameron and Vala broke out into a mock fight and rolled towards the six gunmen. As the gunmen's attention turned to the SG-1 members, Paimol jumped onto a table and drew their attention. As they looked up, another member of the Chancellor's security team turned on a projector and set it to temporarily blind the gunmen. Cameron and Vala quickly defeated the six. By surprising the two gunmen outside, they were also able to defeat them.  
Cameron promptly got back to his communicator and contacted Sam outside the conference room while SG-9 and Vala tried to mediate the conflict between Halkob and the ambassadors. Cameron wanted to warn Sam, but she filled him in on what had happened.  
"Listen, do you think these people should even have this?" Cameron asked. "I know it's not my place to judge a population's worth, but even when six guys were pointing guns, these government types still kept at each other's throats."  
"Well, Forseti never really intended these people to have the technology," Sam offered, "but I agree that we shouldn't pass judgment and take this away."  
"I know. I just wanted to voice that idea out loud." Cameron sighed before Vala barged out. She looked very panicked.  
"What is it, Vala?"  
"The ambassador from Vieltorfant gave up. He called his government and they initiated a countdown to launch a missile at Glitnir."  
Sam heard the conversation. "The ship won't make it; its shield is too weak. How much time do I have?" she asked loudly so that Vala could hear.  
Vala grabbed the communicator. "Sam you have minutes. The Chancellor here is screaming about the risk to his people. Even if he attacked Vieltorfant, he wouldn't be able stop the missile in time. This is one of those creepy stalker missiles that follow you everywhere, Sam."  
The last statement gave Sam an idea. "Copy that. I'm going to evacuate."  
"Good luck, Sam," Cameron told her.  
Sam told Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c the situation so they could evacuate with the intruders and the people who were sealed off. She transferred all the information she was looking at into a central hardware piece and took it. Then she inputted a command, untied the intruder by her, and evacuated Glitnir with him.  
Glitnir started shaking as everyone exited and it soon took off. As it headed out into the atmosphere, a missile caught up and exploded it.  
Sam later got back in contact with Cameron. "We all made it out. We have little bits of the ship falling around us, but nothing big enough to be dangerous."  
"Should I make a joke about justice and reconciliation?"  
"No, absolutely not," Sam replied firmly. She had already heard too many religious people proclaim judgment by the Aesir before they finally dispersed.

A few hours later, Halkob opted to send the SG teams home, telling them that with Glitnir gone, everything was back to normal aside from the multilateral sanctions and criminal complaints against Vieltorfant. For the teams' troubles, Halkob overlooked the information that Sam took out of Glitnir and sent them off with precious herbs indigenous to Merrusall. He also offered Jack a place on his security team. Jack took the offer to be closer to Tolaine.

At the stargate, Jack bid his former colleagues farewell.  
"You should feel free to visit, Jack," Daniel told him. "And let me know when your wedding is. I'll come back for it."  
"I will Daniel. Bye." Jack hugged Daniel and then Sam. "Nice meeting you all. Hope this was fun," he told Vala, Mitchell, and SG-9.  
"Take care of yourself," Mitchell offered.  
Jack watched as everyone stepped through the event horizon and the stargate turned off. He turned around and headed home.


End file.
